Dedicated Apple Podcasts app launched for iOS

Audio and video shows freed from iTunes with bespoke app

A couple of weeks ago, we heard rumblings that Apple was planning to launch a dedicated app for audio and video podcasts and, lo-and-behold, here it is.

Reports had suggested that Podcasts would be freed from iTunes in iOS 6, but Cupertino has decided to pull the trigger with immediate effect by making the Podcasts app available from the App Store today.

The free app for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch allows users to browse and search for podcasts, which can then be streamed, downloaded or subscribed to directly.

Browsing the catalogue will take you to an iTunes Store-esque page where you can search for exactly what you want and also take your pick from the charts.

Suspect Stations interface

The dedicated listening interface looks a little bit like an old-fashioned tapedeck, and definitely looks better on the iPhone than it does the iPad.

There's also a Stations section, which collates popular podcasts and genres and features a host of categories and sub-categories which can be perused, somewhat awkwardly, using a slide-wheel.

The new app should give both audio and video podcasts a little more visibility as they'd become lost in the shuffle within the content-rich iTunes app.